Danish Currency

Many people think that the Danish currency / Danish money is the Euro, but that is not the case. At present it is the Danish krone, but that may change to the Euro someday (however, not if the Danes have anything to say about it!). You can check the exchange rate below.

The krone (kr) is broken into 100 ører. The coins are 50 ører, 1 krone, 2 kroner, 5 kroner, 10 kroner and finally, 20 kroner.

Note: The 25 ører coin was taken out of circulation in 2008 and can no longer be used.

The notes are 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 5000 kroner.

The krone is written kr. or DKK or Dkr.

When discussing the Danish currency / Danish money - krone is single and kroner is plural; øre is singular and ører is plural. Most shops accept major credit cards if they are embedded with chip and pin. Swipe-type credit cards are getting harder to use, but they are still in limited use. If coming for a visit, try to bring a chip and pin credit card so you can avoid problems.

Checkbooks are pretty much a thing of the past in Denmark. Banks do not issue them unless you specifically ask for them and even then many banks don't offer them.

When doing business in Denmark, you will find that many companies are now going to electronic billing and payment and you can easily avoid using any Danish currency / Danish money on a daily basis.

Most things are now done with credit cards and electronic/online payment systems.

The giro has two parts. One part is your receipt and the other part is for the bank or post office. When you get a giro you take it to your bank or post office and pay by using your DanKort or taking money directly from your bank account.

You need to make sure your name and payment details are correct. Your name goes in the upper left box where it says "inbetaler". It should have your name and complete address.

Along the bottom row there are two spots for putting in the correct payment amount. The business that is sending you the bill should already have filled out their information.

If you are using a blank giro, you need to insert the name of the company you are paying, including an invoice number.

If paying online, you would put the number at the bottom on the giro into your payment form. It is usually a +71 number for most bills. There are also +01, +04, +15, +73 and +75 accounts.

If giros are confusing, take it to your local post office or bank and a member of staff will help you complete it correctly.

Exchanging Money

All banks in Denmark will exchange your foreign currency. You will need to check the exchange rates and maybe shop around for the best bargain.There are exchange places at the major train stations, along the shopping streets and in most popular tourtist areas.

The exchange rates are always displayed outside the bureaus. If you don't see them listed, avoid them!

Major hotels can also exchange money for you, but they give lower rates and charge higher fees. You're better off visiting one of the local banks during business hours, since they usually offer the best rates.

You can also get money from one of the zillion cash machines located throughout Denmark. (Okay not a zillion, but they seem to be everywhere!). Be aware that there is a service charge on all transactions done through cash machines and they are not posted on the machines, so you could get a nice surprise.

TIP If in doubt about the exchange rate, exchange enough to get around on and then check out the various bureaus as you sightsee. Make a note of the best rates, and also check their fees. There is usually a transaction fee on top of the exchange rate.

Check out the current exchange rate.

If you're NOT feeling a bit patriotic at this point, maybe it's time to hear the Danish National Anthem.

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